Compendium of Lost Words What is a Lost Word?

There are rare words, and there are rarer words, but only a very special word qualifies as a bona fide lost word. Of course, no word in the Compendium can be completely lost, or I could never have found it. To as great an extent as possible, I have tried to use a set of criteria by which truly rare but real English words can be classified as lost words. They are as follows:

1. THE WORD MUST HAVE ENGLISH DICTIONARY.

A HEADER ENTRY IN THE

OXFORD

Every single one of the words in this list is found in the Oxford English Dictionary. Using the OED online subscription service, I have tracked down these words. The OED is the largest English dictionary, and is generally regarded as a canonical source for the study of the language.

2. THE

WORD MAY NOT APPEAR IN ITS PROPER ENGLISH CONTEXT ON ANY READILY ACCESSIBLE WEB PAGE.
Using the Google search engine, I have ensured that none of these words appear on any English-language web page in its proper context. Many of these words turn up no hits whatsoever. Others occur only as part of long alphabetic word lists that lack definitions. Still other pages (often pornographic websites) use scripts that automatically interpolate any keyword from such word-lists in a futile effort to attract more traffic. Others are legitimate words in a foreign language, or are place-names or proper nouns in English. None of these 'hits' excludes a word from status as a 'lost word'. However, if even one hit was returned where the word was defined, or where it was used in its proper sense in a sentence, it was excluded. Because the online OED is subscription-based , it is not indexed by the search engines and thus its definitions do not show up in search engines.

3. THE

WORD MUST HAVE BEEN USED IN

MODERN ENGLISH.

The question of what exactly constitutes 'Modern English' is tricky, and any answer must necessarily have an element of arbitrariness. Some linguists distinguish only Middle English from Modern English, while others use an intermediate category, Early Modern English, which includes, among other things, the writings of Shakespeare, Spenser, and the King James Bible. I have chosen a cut-off date of 1650 as the earliest limit of true Modern English, following the classification used by some linguists.

Because the OED contains dated usage sentences for every word it defines, including its earliest use and later uses throughout its history, it was relatively easy for me to distinguish those words used since 1650 and those that died out earlier. Not entirely coincidentally, this border date of 1650 is just barely early enough to allow entries from the first large English-only dictionary, the very interesting Glossographia (1656) by Thomas Blount.

4. THE

WORD MUST HAVE BEEN USED IN A STANDARD ENGLISH VARIETY RATHER THAN SIMPLY IN A REGIONAL DIALECT.
There must be literally thousands of dialectal English words used since 1650 that have never been used online. Most numerous among these are probably Scots dialectal terms. While I am not a linguistic prescriptivist, and do not think in any way that Scots, Australian, Indian and other English dialects are in any way inferior, they are really another subject entirely, and don't belong in this inquiry. By 'standard' English, I mean words that appear in print in British or American English, the major varieties of the language as used today.

5. THE

WORD MUST NOT BE A SIMPLE VARIATION IN SPELLING OF ANOTHER WORD.

Particularly in the early part of the 'modern' period from which my words are drawn, English spelling was far from regular. The OED, along with many other dictionaries, includes such spelling variations when they are used with some frequency and are not idiosyncratic errors. While these variations are of interest to lexicographers, they are not particularly interesting from the perspective of this study, since their more ordinary versions will be found online in many places. In addition, there are many criteria that identify a truly ideal lost word, but do not apply to all the words in the Compendium. Ideally, a word should not be a nonce-word or an idiosyncratic coinage, and, even better, should have been used by two or more authors. Words whose meanings do not relate to entirely obsolete concepts are preferred over those that could only be used historically. Lastly, though these gems are quite rare, twentieth century words that meet all the other criteria are especially desirable.

Lost Words: A-E

acrasial adj 1851 -1851 ill-regulated; ill-tempered The acrasial judge was known for her rants against younger lawyers. addecimate v 1612 -1755 to tithe They addecimated regularly but were not otherwise known for their charity. adimpleate v 1657 -1657 to fill up The new technique adimpleates the cans with milk through injection. adnascentia npl 1706 -1731 root-like branches that sprout into the earth from a plant's stem Every winter, the adnascentia would shift around, destroying the lawn's even texture. aeipathy n 1847 -1853 continued passion; an unyielding disease Her aeipathy for stamp collecting bordered at times on the pathological. affictitious adj 1656 -1656 feigned; counterfeit The forger was caught despite his masterfully-crafted affictitious signatures. affuage n 1753 -1847 right to cut wood in a forest for family fire The family's right of affuage ensured they would have enough wood for winter. agonarch n 1656 -1656 judge of a contest or activity Our competition will require six agonarchs to ensure fairness. agonyclite n 1710 -1710 member of a heretical sect that stood rather than kneeled while praying Agonyclites must have had hardy feet to endure their services. airgonaut n 1784 -1784 one who journeys through the air Balloonists, skydivers and other airgonauts are all a little mad, if you ask me. alabandical adj 1656 -1775 barbarous; stupefied from drink His behaviour after the party was positively alabandical. albedineity n 1652 -1652 whiteness The monotonous albedineity of the snow-covered field was blinding. alogotrophy n 1753 -1853 excessive nutrition of part of body resulting in deformity

Was he born with that huge head, or is it the result of alogotrophy? amandation n 1656 -1755 act of sending away or dismissing His rude amandation of his guests earned him a reputation for curtness. amarulence n 1731 -1755 bitterness; spite After losing her job to a less qualified man, she was full of amarulence. amorevolous adj 1670 -1670 affectionate; loving Our father, though amorevolous, could be a strict taskmaster at times. antipelargy n 1656 -1731 reciprocal or mutual kindness; love and care of children for their parents Having never received any antipelargy, they wrote their daughter out of the will. apanthropinization n 1880 -1880 withdrawal from human concerns or the human world His life as a hermit in the woods was characterized by apanthropinization. aporrhoea n 1646 -1880 a bodily emanation; an effluvium The evening's revelries were followed by an unfortunate episode of aporrhoea. aquabib n 1731 -1883 water-drinker I was never much of an aquabib, and always preferred harder libations. archigrapher n 1656 -1656 principal or head secretary or clerk The archigrapher efficiently designated transcription duties to her underlings. archiloquy n 1656- 1656 first part of a speech We stopped paying attention during his talk due to his monotonous archiloquy. aretaloger n 1623 -1656 braggart; one who boasts about his own accomplishments While he seemed nice at first, he turned out to be a loudmouthed aretaloger. artigrapher n 1753 -1753 writer or composer of a grammar; a grammarian Today's prescriptivists are no better than the artigraphers of the Renaissance. ascoliasm n 1706 -1753 boys' game of beating each other with gloves or leather while hopping If you think bullies are bad today, look at brutal games of the past like ascoliasm.

assectation n 1656 -1656 act of following after something else She stood in the on-deck circle, her assectation virtually guaranteed. austerulous adj 1731 -1731 somewhat or slightly harsh The austerulous monks were rarely lenient with their pupils. autexousious adj 1678 -1678 exercising or possessing free will If we are truly autexousious, then why do we so often feel powerless? auturgy n 1651 -1656 self-action; independent activity The film director's legendary auturgy frustrated editors and producers alike. avunculize v 1662 -1662 to act as an uncle; to behave like an uncle I often avunculize to my younger friends, which no doubt annoys them. bajulate v 1613 -1662 to bear a heavy burden Their Sherpa aides were vexed by the demand that they bajulate as well as guide. bimarian adj 1731 -1731 pertaining to two seas Some think that America needs to improve its bimarian naval defenses. binoternary adj 1817 -1817 combining binary and trinary aspects The dots on the '6' face of a die are arranged in a binoternary fashion. blateration n 1656 -1864 chatter; babbling I've had just about enough of your garrulous blateration, you clod! bonifate adj 1656 -1656 lucky; fortunate The gambler was too bonifate, and attracted the casino manager's attention. boreism n 1833 -1839 behaviour of a boring person The professor, while brilliant, was afflicted by boreism when lecturing. boscaresque adj 1734 -1734 picturesque; scenically wooded Despite northern England's industrial pollution, parts of it remain boscaresque. brabeum n 1675 -1675 reward or prize Without some brabeum, the students will have no incentive to work harder. brephophagist n 1731 -1875 one who eats babies The character Fat Bastard is a disgustingly obese Scottish brephophagist.

brochity n 1623 -1678 projecting or crooked quality of teeth His parents later regretted that they did not correct his brochity in his youth. bromography n 1860 -1860 a treatise on food It's not enough to write a bromography - today's celebrity chefs need to be on TV! bubulcitate v 1623 -1678 to act as a cowherd; to cry like a cowherd When their cat went missing, they were on the street bubulcitating for weeks. buccellation n 1657 -1731 act of dividing into small morsels The buccellation and apportionment of their rations was the subject of heated argument. bumposopher n 1834 -1886 one learned in bumps; a phrenologist Craniology has progressed greatly since the days of bumposophers. cacatory adj 1684 -1753 accompanied by loose bowels For the diners, the effects of the chicken cacciatore, alas, were cacatory. cacozealous adj 1656 -1696 imitating badly; poorly affected Her cacozealous attempt at mimicking her boss bordered on being offensive. cagastric adj 1662 -1753 of diseases, originating under an ill star We no longer believe in cagastric causes for illness and deformity. cameranious adj 1791 -1791 of or relating to a chamber The social gathering benefited from the cozy, cameranious setting. canitude n 1656 -1742 greyness; hoariness; whiteness The first snowfall of the year gave the field a pleasant canitude. caprizant adj 1730 -1736 of the pulse, uneven or irregular While he hadn't had a full-blown heart attack, his pulse was very caprizant. casitive adj 1652 -1652 having grammatical cases The casitive nature of Finnish and Hungarian makes them difficult to learn. castaldy n 1623 -1800 stewardship His castaldy over the manor was dependent on his good relations with the lord's sons. cecograph n 1851 -1874 writing device for the blind

The development of computers has made the cecograph entirely obsolete. celeberrimous adj 1768 -1768 very or most highly celebrated Her celeberrimous accomplishments were lauded by her colleagues. celeripedean adj 1623 -1656 swift-footed The most celeripedean of the Greek deities was Hermes. cestuan adj 1711 -1711 of or pertaining to a boxer's gloves or cesti No cestuan improvements can negate the damage of such blows to the head. chermadic adj 1842 -1842 of a heavy weight used as a projectile Wile E. Coyote continues to be crushed by his own chermadic snares. chronanagram n 1613 -1882 an anagram of a chronogram Jacobites used chronanagrams to cryptically express support for their cause. cibosity n 1656 -1656 store of food; plenty of food supplies The cibosities of those paranoid about Y2K are still rotting in their cellars. circuland n 1821 -1821 that which is to be circulated Here we have the circuland, as opposed to our internal earnings report. circumbilivagination n 1611 -1693 going around in a circular motion; circumambulation She saw many quaint seaside towns in her circumbilivagination of England. citharize v 1623 -1692 to play the harp If you plan to citharize, prepare to build up calluses on your fingers. cloakatively adv 1674 -1674 superficially These reforms have only cloakatively made the situation better for the poor. coherentific adj 1834 -1834 causing to become coherent; causing cohesion Her speech was the coherentific factor behind the jury's consensus verdict. colaphize v 1450 -1656 to beat or buffet His lawyer claimed that police had colaphized him, which confused the judge. commendaces npl 1611 -1658 funeral orations; prayers for the dead At his funeral, his brother delivered a set of exquisite commendaces. coquinate v 1656 -1658

to behave as a cook Martha may seem to be able to coquinate, but her actions are highly scripted. cosmogyral adj 1808 -1808 whirling round the universe The great cosmogyral peregrinations of galaxies follow simple physical laws. crassulent adj 1656 -1656 very fat; grossly obese While some point to Brando's crassulent state, others focus on his acting. crebrity n 1656 -1740 frequency; period between two occurrences Old Faithful is a natural clock, and its invariant crebrity continues to amaze. crocitation n 1623 -1656 croaking; cawing The crocitation of the gulls meant that I got no sleep last night. cynicocratical adj 1881 -1881 pertaining to rule by cynics When people mistrust government, our leaders become cynicocratical. deartuate v 1623 -1653 to dismember He cunningly hoped that if he deartuated the body, he could hide it in the hole. decutient adj 1656 -1656 shaking down; beating down Their decutient technique for getting apples from trees annoyed the farmer. defedate v 1669 -1669 to defile; to pollute The toxic chemicals continue to defedate our town's water supply. desarcinate v 1656 -1736 to unload; to unburden She haughtily ordered her butler to desarcinate her baggage from the car. devalgate adj 1851 -1883 bow-legged The devalgate cowboy watched his old smell-hound crawl between his legs. dicaearchy n 1656 -1658 just government While we dream of living in a dicaearchy, in truth, we're governed by dicks. diffibulate v 1656 -1656 to unbutton; to unbuckle He found it difficult to diffibulate her blouse using only one hand. dignorate v 1623 -1656 to mark or brand an animal

He was glad he had dignorated his horse, or else he couldn't have claimed it. diloricate v 1623 -1656 to rip open a sewn piece of clothing She diloricated his silk shirts so she could use them as dishrags. dipsopathy n 1883 -1883 medical treatment involving abstinence from liquids The new antibiotics he was taking required him to practice strict dipsopathy. diribitory n 1656 -1656 place where pay is distributed to soldiers Directly deposited salaries for soldiers obviate the need for diribitories. divinipotent adj 1656 -1727 having strong divinatory powers While the TV psychic claims to be divinipotent, he's clearly a charlatan. dodrantal adj 1656 -1883 of nine inches in length The male stripper's dodrantal instrument impressed the ladies greatly. drollic adj 1743 -1743 of or pertaining to puppet shows Computer graphics are rapidly replacing the drollic puppet-shows of years ago. dromograph n 1883 -1885 instrument for measuring velocity of blood flow The dromograph readings from his elderly patient alarmed the doctor. ducenarious adj 1656 -1656 pertaining to two hundred The ducenarious diversion of the bicentennial brought the countrymen together. ebaptization n 1659 -1659 declaring that someone has not been properly baptized They feared the priest's heterodoxy would lead to charges of ebaptization. ecstasiate v 1823 -1957 to go into an ecstasy; to cause to become ecstatic The arrival of the boy-band ecstasiated the pre-teen throng. ectylotic adj 1736 -1864 removing warts or calluses Use this ectylotic bandage on your finger and you'll be cured in a week or two. egrote v 1721 -1775 to feign an illness He was a master of egroting in order to find more time to study for tests. eicastic adj 1669 -1669 imitative The comedian's wit is limited to his considerable eicastic abilities.

ejurate v 1622 -1800 to renounce; to abjure I ejurate this entire organization and its principles, which I now see to be corrupt. embaphium n 1715 -1884 small vessel for measuring or serving medicine She employed an embaphium to ensure the correct dose was given. embolimaeal adj 1677 -1796 intercalary; inserted into the calendar The addition of embolimaeal days caused calendrical confusion in the past. epalpebrate adj 1884 -1884 lacking eyebrows If you don't stop plucking, soon you'll be epalpabrate! ephydriad n 1823 -1823 water-nymph The synchronized swimmers were like ephydriads, full of natural grace. essomenic adj 1771 -1771 showing things as they will be in the future The essomenic properties of crystal balls are very much in dispute. eternitarian n 1746 -1746 one who believes in the eternity of the soul Though she held to no particular faith, she remained a hopeful eternitarian. eveniency n 1656 -1656 coming to pass His mother thought that the eveniency of her son's marriage was inevitable. excutient adj 1730 -1775 shaking off The excutient dog showered the topless sunbathers, causing them to rise in alarm. exipotic adj 1823 -1884 purgative; cleansing the body of illness While the medicine was exipotic to his body, it made a mess of his bathroom. exlineal adj 1716 -1716 out of the direct line of descent Her cousins and all the other exlineal relations were cut out of the will.

Lost Words: F-M

fabrefaction n 1652 -1678 act of fashioning or making a work of art The sculptor felt that fabrefaction was more important than the end result.

fallaciloquence n 1656 -1761 deceitful speech Your fallaciloquence, though charming, will not convince the jury to acquit. famelicose adj 1730 -1775 often or very hungry The tribe's crops frequently fail, and their children are famelicose. famigerate v 1623 -1736 to carry news from abroad The bloggers famigerated about the conditions in the war-torn country. ficulnean adj 1716 -1716 of fig-tree wood; worthless His ficulnean arguments failed to convince his professor to raise his grade. filicology n 1884 -1884 study of ferns Filicology is a discipline for which paleontological training is a great asset. findible adj 1656 -1790 able to be cleft or split This pie is perfectly findible, if we can agree to some simple rules for cutting it. flosculation n 1651 -1651 an embellishment or ornament in speech The speaker's lecture was rendered laughable by ridiculous flosculations. foppotee n 1663 -1663 simpleton What a pitiful foppotee he was, always oblivious to our jeers! frenigerent adj 1656 -1681 bearing a bridle The frenigerent filly flew fast from the fire. fumificate v 1721 -1792 to make or cause smoke or incense The only problem with the new grill is its tendency to fumificate. gardeviance n 1459 -1706 chest for valuables; a travelling trunk She kept her linens in that old gardeviance for over sixty years. gardevisure n 1610 -1840 visor of a helmet as shown on heraldic devices Since you're so ugly, why not place a gardevisure on your coat of arms? gaudiloquent adj 1656 -1727 speaking joyfully or on joyful matters Her gaudiloquent tone was thought excessively perky by the stodgy faculty. gelicide n 1656 -1681 a frost Unfortunately, the flowers were killed too soon by an early gelicide. gipseian adj 1749 -1749

belonging or pertaining to gypsies The gipseian rhythms made her feel as if she were in the Middle East. gleimous adj 1398 -1790 slimy; full of phlegm Its gleimous tongue slipped between its teeth and ensnared the moose. gnathonize v 1619 -1727 to flatter I can tell that you're just trying to gnathonize me, you sycophantic buffoon! graocracy n 1830 -1830 government by an old woman or women High voter turnout among elderly women may soon lead us into a graocracy. graviloquence n 1656 -1656 grave speech The bishop's funeral orations were known for their graviloquence. gumfiate v 1820 -1820 to cause to swell; to puff up He just had his wisdom teeth extracted, so his cheeks are gumfiated. gutturniform adj 1886 -1886 shaped like a water pitcher She was never able to mould the clay into a proper gutturniform shape. gypsation n 1656 -1681 action or process of plastering with gypsum The gypsation of the room took much too long and irritated his allergies. habroneme adj 1886 -1886 having the appearance of fine threads Her habroneme hair was admired by many hairstylists for its fine texture. halatinous adj 1886 -1886 saline; salty The halatinous mist brought back memories of his childhood at the seashore. hecatologue n 1894 -1894 code consisting of 100 rules The teen whined that her parents' list of rules was practically a hecatologue. helctic adj 1658 -1658 acting to drag or draw out; drawing While leechcraft is derided, it is medicinally useful from a helctic perspective. hemerine adj 1854 -1886 daily; quotidian The hemerine ritual of walking her dog kept her in good physical shape. hercotectonic adj 1672 -1672 of or pertaining to the construction of fortifications or walls The fort's hercotectonic strength was insufficient to repel cannon-fire.

hirculation n 1656 -1721 disease of vines where they grow no fruit Despite a fantastic growing season, the vineyard was crippled by hirculation. hirquitalliency n 1652 -1652 strength of voice The wrestler's hirquitalliency compensated for his lack of strength and talent. historiaster n 1887 -1894 petty or contemptible historian While Foucault is widely praised today, he was no more than a historiaster. hiulcity n 1681 -1681 an opening or cleft They stepped into the hiulcity in the cliff face, unaware of the danger within. homerkin n 1662 -1663 old liquid measure for beer "I'm so thirsty I could drink a homerkin of beer," Simpson lamented. hymnicide n 1862 -1862 killing of hymns through alterations Many accused the revisionists in the Church of committing hymnicide. hyometer n 1886 -1886 rain gauge Her homemade hyometer was overwhelmed and destroyed by the deluge. hypenemious n 1855 -1886 full of wind; windy; of an egg, malformed Let us protect ourselves against the hyenemious assault of the hurricane. icasm n 1664 -1664 figurative expression He protested at his trial that the death threat he delivered was only an icasm. ichorescent adj 1684 -1684 growing or becoming ichorous After several months, the carrots were disgustingly ichorescent. ichthyarchy n 1853 -1853 the domain or rule of fishes Despite his ichthyarchy, Aquaman is really a very pitiful superhero. ictuate v 1822 -1822 to emphasize; to put metrical stress on She preferred free verse over carefully-ictuated classical poetic styles. igniparous adj 1684 -1684 bringing forth fire The heroes were scorched by the dragon's igniparous emanation. impigrity n 1623 -1721 quickness; speed The impigrity of the contract's signing led to vexing legal wranglings. improcerous adj 1656 -1658

low; short The coffee table was much too improcerous to be of any real use. incabinate v 1672 -1672 to enclose in a cabin; to confine The solution to her writer's block was to incabinate herself at her country villa. ingeniculation n 1623 -1658 bending of the knee His ingeniculation was in vain, and she turned away in disgust, never to return. ingordigious adj 1637 -1734 greedy; avaricious Your ingordigious ways are cruel and heartless; charity is the path to joy. inocciduous adj 1656 -1658 of a star, never setting Polaris was his inocciduous guide as he trekked across the Great Plains. inobligality n 1663 -1663 quality of not being obligatory Granting the inobligality of bringing a gift to the party, it is still polite to do so. interfation n 1656 -1658 act of interrupting another while speaking His boorish interfations were ill-received at the academic lecture. inveteratist n 1715 -1715 opponent of reform; one who inveterately holds to tradition The golf course's manager, being an inveteratist, continued to refuse women entry. ipsographic adj 1817 -1817 self-recording He used the CD burner primarily for ipsographic purposes. irredivivous adj 1656 -1656 unable to be revived Despite Dr. House's best effort, the patient remained irredivivous. isangelous adj 1768 -1774 equal to the angels I've had just about enough of her isangelous and self-righteous diatribes. jecorary adj 1684 -1684 of or relating to the liver The alcoholic's refusal to seek treatment caused him no end of jecorary trouble. jobler n 1662 -1662 one who does small jobs We've found a great jobler who takes care of our repairs quickly and cheaply. jumperism n 1800 -1876 principles of a jumping Methodist sect While snake-handling is ridiculous, it is no worse than jumperism or the

stylites. jungible adj 1656 -1656 that may be joined The trailers are jungible by means of a complex hitching system. jussulent adj 1656 -1658 full of broth or soup The bubbling of the jussulent cauldron and the crackling of the campfire soothed her. kalotypography n 1834 -1834 beautiful printing Medieval manuscripts are attractive, but modern kalotypography surely surpasses them. keleusmatically adv 1885 -1885 imperatively; in an imperative mood "Sit down!" the teacher instructed his wife keleusmatically, to her chagrin. kexy adj 1608 -1884 dry, brittle, withered The rustling of the kexy leaves alerted the campers to the bear's presence. krioboly n 1850 -1882 sacrifice of many rams; bath in blood of rams Contrary to rumour, pagan rituals do not involve krioboly or babyeating. labascate v 1727 -1727 to begin to fall or slide He watched with helpless horror as the baby carriage labascated down the stairs. lagenarious adj 1657 -1657 flagon-shaped He brought our champagne in a lagenarious vessel, much to our embarassment. lambition n 1658 -1800 act of licking or lapping The child's lambition of the ice cream was interrupted by gravity, the cruellest master. lampistry n 1874 -1874 art of decorating lamps The church bazaar is always full of skilled needlework, lampistry and other crafts. lardlet n 1659 -1659 small piece of bacon to put into meat to enrich with fat The secret to her pot roasts is the use of lardlets to enhance the flavour of the meat. latibule n 1623 -1691 hiding place The girl emerged triumphantly from her latibule, only to find her friends had already left. leeftail adj 1674 -1869 in great demand; having a quick sale

The new Corvettes are a leeftail product, no doubt because of the economic boom. legatarian adj 1766 -1766 of or pertaining to a deputy or legate The vice-president seems uncomfortable with his legatarian duties. leporicide n 1788 -1914 killer or killing of hares or rabbits Elmer Fudd's futile attempts at leporicide were always foiled by his intended prey. lignatile adj 1855 -1855 living or growing on wood She collected lignatile mushrooms on her hike, confident in her identifications. lignicide n 1656 -1656 woodcutter We will not tolerate the lignicides who would despoil our old-growth forests! lococession n 1656 -1656 place for giving Deposit your alms in the lococession we have provided, and you will be rewarded. locupletative adj 1802 -1812 tending to enrich Your locupletative contributions have helped furnish the new stadium lavishly. logarithmotechny n 1724 -1775 the art of calculating logarithms But sir, without my calculator, I will be reduced to painful logarithmotechny! lubency n 1623 -1669 willingness; pleasure My lubency to help you in this matter will not be increased by your paltry bribes. lugent adj 1656 -1889 weeping; mourning After hearing of the attack, her brothers were lugent at first, then enraged. Lutherolatry n 1859 -1883 worship of Martin Luther and his teachings The priest was poorly received for his denunciation of Lutherolatry and paganism. macellarious adj 1656 -1656 pertaining to butchers or meat markets Some practitioners of the macellarious arts are more humane to animals than vegans. magastromancy n 1652 -1652 magical astrology Her reliance on magastromancy to decide the students' grades got her in trouble. magistricide n 1670 -1670

the killing or killer of a teacher or master While many have considered magistricide, few are bold or wicked enough to do so. magophony n 1711 -1711 massacre of magi or priests The acts of magophony that accompany religious intolerance are simply unacceptable. maleolent adj 1657 -1727 having an ill odour His maleolent recipe was avoided by all but the most courageous or polite guests. mancation n 1727 -1727 maiming; mutilation The general would suffer no mancation or execution of fallen enemy troops. mariturient adj 1765 -1765 eager to marry He was beset with offers from several distant cousins who were desperately mariturient. mecography n 1603 -1890 measurement of the dimensions and weight of body parts The condom company used mecography to obtain necessary data about its clientele. medioxumate adj 1723 -1723 of gods of intermediate rank between those of heaven and of hell Medioxumate deities such as those of the Greek pantheon are rarely worshipped today. melanochalcographer n 1697 -1697 engraver of copper printing plates No melanochalcographer can match a photographic print in quality of reproduction. miliaceous adj 1684 -1890 like millet or the millet-seed This miliaceous gift will keep our nation from starvation, but will not appease us. mingent adj 1685 -1685 discharging urine The mingent dog amused the children but not the owner of the flower garden. misqueme v 1395 -1658 to displease; to offend If my actions misqueme you or your friends, you need only leave me alone. mitescent adj 1727 -1727 growing mild You're becoming mitescent in your old age, and can hardly stomach conflict any more. mochlic n 1657 -1753 drastic purgative medicine This mochlic remedy is worse than the disease, but at least it will be

over quickly. modernicide n 1774 -1774 killing or killer of modern people While the Luddites were radical traditionalists, they never engaged in modernicide. molrowing n 1860 -1896 caterwauling; cavorting with prostitutes Her son is a molrowing vagabond without any social graces, much to her shame. montivagant adj 1656 -1658 wandering over hills and mountains The montivagant hiker crossed the Alps with ease but was stymied by the Andes. morsicant adj 1891 -1891 producing the sensation of repeated biting or pricking After sitting for several hours, I had a terrible morsicant pain in my rear end. mowburnt adj 1548 -1900 of crops, spoiled by becoming overheated The heat wave last August left us with heaps of mowburnt and useless crops. mulcible adj 1656 -1656 able to be appeased Despite his promises of food, the crowd was not mulcible and began to riot. mulomedic adj 1678 -1678 relating to the medical care of mules The doctor's mulomedic abilities were of enormous importance to the trek's success. murklins adv 1568 -1674 in the dark She stumbled murklins about the house until she found the light switch. myriander adj 1693 -1693 consisting of ten thousand men Her myriander host of suitors never figured out that she was a lesbian.

Lost Words: N-R

namelings npl 1706 -1706 persons bearing the same name The namelings Martin Luther and Dr. King shared a concern with political reform. nepheliad n 1818 -1821 cloud-nymph Like a nepheliad, the skydiver dove gracefully through the clouds. nequient adj 1656 -1656 not being able

While the other students understand algebra, you are still nequient in this simple art. nerterology n 1800 -1800 learning relating to the dead or the underworld Her inquiries into nerterology were inspired by a youthful visit to a medieval crypt. nidifice n 1656 -1656 a nest The lizard climbed into the nidifice, only to be eaten by the mother eagle. noscible adj 1654 -1654 knowable; well-known It is noscible that no amount of training can make up for experience in the field. novaturient adj 1679 -1679 desiring changes or alterations The novel's author rightly rejected the novaturient wishes of the screenwriters nubivagant adj 1656 -1656 moving throughout or among clouds The glider flew like a nubivagant bird before emerging out of the clouds and into view. obacerate v 1656 -1658 to stop one's mouth When he swore onstage, several audience members obacerated themselves. obarmate v 1623 -1658 to arm against Let us obarmate ourselves for the upcoming battle against the Mongols! obrumpent adj 1656 -1656 breaking; bursting The guests were startled to attention by the sound of obrumpent balloons. obstrigillate v 1623 -1656 to oppose; to resist I will not obstrigillate the efforts of my opponent to besmirch my good name. occaecation n 1608 -1691 the act of blinding After his occaecation, he was unable to enjoy simple pleasures such as reading. occulcation n 1656 -1656 act of treading on or trampling Repeated occulcations of this field by soldiers have left it useless for agriculture. odynometer n 1889 -1893 instrument for measuring pain Suspecting his patient's illness to be feigned, he pulled out his trusty odynometer.

omniregency n 1616 -1670 universal rulership; state of complete authority The principle of omniregency is now seriously mistrusted, and not only by radicals. oncethmus n 1656 -1656 braying The oncethmus of most politicians is far worse than that given off by any beast. operiment n 1650 -1656 a covering If you don't get an operiment for your classic car, it will rust away in a brief time. oporopolist n 1671 -1725 fruit-seller Our opropolist's oranges often offer odd odours. orgiophant n 1886 -1886 one who presides over orgies The orgiophant had dozens of hangers-on who sought to attend his parties. ossifragant adj 1656 -1656 bone-breaking The ossifragant wrestler earned a reputation for brutality, so no one would fight him ovablastic adj 1922 -1922 making eggs burst open in the womb The doctor rejected the ovablastic technique, finding it to violate his moral principles. palintocy n 1693 -1847 repayment of interest paid on a loan I understand you can't pay me everything, but I demand a palintocy, at the very least. palmoscopy n 1857 -1890 observation of heartbeat or pulse as part of medical diagnosis Even without his medical bag, he could use palmoscopy to diagnose her heart attack. pamphagous adj 1702 -1702 eating everything; all-consuming To the pamphagous victor goes the Golden Wiener of Triumphal Consumption! panchymagogue n 1657 -1893 medicine purging all the humours from the body What you need is a good panchymagogue to get you back on your feet! pannuscorium n 1858 -1860 soft leather cloth used on the tops of shoes and boots The pannuscorium of his old shoes was covered in indelible stains. papicolist n 1633 -1810 one who worships the pope; a papist Today, even papicolists grudgingly admit that papal infallibility cannot be literally true.

parepochism n 1685 -1685 error in dating or assigning time period The antique dealer was well known for his parepochisms, so we didn't feel too bad. paterophobia n 1840 -1840 fear of the early Church fathers The Romans' paterophobia mellowed over time, until Christianity was fully accepted. patration n 1656 -1656 perfection or completion of something The patration of my dissertation will be an occasion for great merriment. pecuarious adj 1656 -1658 serving or belonging to beasts or cattle The children tossed the pecuarious leavings at one another, to their parents' dismay. pedegorize v 1665 -1665 to construct a pedigree; to derive through a pedigree The owners of the racehorse took great efforts to pedegorize her carefully. penarious adj 1656 -1658 of or pertaining to victuals or provisions The quartermaster is in charge of penarious matters, so stay out of his business! penintime adj 1686 -1718 second from inmost Venus, our solar system's penintime planet, is Earth's twin in many regards. perantique adj 1883 -1883 very antique or ancient She treasured the perantique mirror even though the glass was somewhat warped. pessundate v 1656 -1658 to cast down or ruin The Roman Empire was pessundated by its economic woes rather than moral decline. phalerate adj 1656 -1702 ornamented; decorated The phalerate umbrella-stand in the corner of the room attracted the guests' attention. phasianic adj 1884 -1884 of or pertaining to pheasants Our phasianic hunting-trips have become increasingly futile in recent years. philargyrist n 1633 -1663 lover of money; covetous person I am no philargyrist, but I like to live well, so charity isn't in my best interest. phlyarologist n 1867 -1867 one who talks nonsense

He was a petty phlyarologist who could rarely hold an intelligent conversation. phoenigm n 1646 -1858 reddening of the skin; reddish medical application The phoenigm of his cheeks after the race testified both to his fatigue and his elation. phylactology n 1966 -1966 science of counter-espionage Though phylactology reached its peak in the Cold War, it is arguably still important. pication n 1684 -1684 application of warm pitch to the skin as medical treatment While it seems harsh, pication is effective for cleansing pores and restoring skin tone. pigritude n 1623 -1656 slothfulness Despite the college student's pigritude, he continued to maintain a 'B' average. piladex n 1897 -1901 game where an inflated bag is hit with hand to keep aloft across a table From piladex to hacky-sack, pastimes involving hitting objects are known to all ages. pilimiction n 1847 -1874 passing of hair-like bodies in the urine His doctor was particularly concerned about his pilimiction, for obvious reasons. plebicolar adj 1626 -1820 courting or appealing to the common people He profited from his plebicolar demeanour, and avoided the fate of many other nobles. plegnic adj 1612 -1664 acting by a blow; striking like a hammer; percussive Her plegnic pounding of the piano-keys contrasted sharply with her tiny frame. plenisphere n 1912 -1912 a perfect sphere The iridescent plenispheres in the sky told him that someone was blowing bubbles. pocilliform adj 1846 -1846 shaped like a little cup The golf ball hardly budged from its pocilliform resting-spot atop the tee. poliadic adj 1886 -1886 of the nature of a local or tutelary god Respect for poliadic spirits and deities continued long after the region converted. pomarious adj 1656 -1775 of or belonging to an orchard or fruit-garden Newton's pomarious enlightenment concerning gravity is no more

than a myth. ponask v 1922 -1963 to cook game by splitting it and roasting it on a spit We ponasked the freshly-caught pheasant at our campsite. portmantologist n 1887 -1934 one who studies or coins portmanteau words Rather than being a portmantologist, why not use perfectly good existing words? prandicle n 1656 -1658 small meal In those years, she would take several prandicles during the course of each day. prebition n 1656 -1656 act of offering, showing or setting before The prebition of his treasure-find to the king earned him great honour and esteem. pregnatress n 1765 -1765 female power that generates or gives birth to something As the pregnatress of our little group, her opinion was still highly regarded. prescited adj 1400 -1660 foreknown or predestined for damnation; condemned If you believe some of us are prescited from birth, there is no reason to do good works. primifluous adj 1657 -1657 that which flows first The primifluous wines of the evening were excellent, unlike the plonk served later. privign n 1605 -1654 stepson Though he was only her privign, she always treated him as if he were her own child. psalloid adj 1756 -1895 resembling a harp or stringed instrument Her renown as a maker of psalloid instruments led to a position at the royal court. psephograph n 1906 -1907 machine for automatically recording votes These newfangled computers are no more reliable than an oldfashioned psephograph. pseudisodomous adj 1601 -1850 style of wall construction using stones of different thickness The use of pseudisodomous brickwork gives the room an antique feel. ptochology n 1891 -1891 study of beggars and unemployment If we want to understand the roots of poverty, we must undertake work in ptochology. pudify v 1656 -1656 to cause to be ashamed Your remarks do not pudify me, for you are as guilty of such offenses

as I am! pugnastics n 1830 -1830 displays of pugilistic ability Ali's pugnastics were much more impressive than his overly boastful showmanship. pullarian adj 1652 -1652 of or pertaining to chicken or fowl Our pullarian mascot was trampled by the opposing team's offensive line. pyroleter n 1878 -1878 double-pump fire extinguisher that produces carbonic acid The pyroleter was insufficient to combat the fire at the old library. quadragintireme n 1799 -1799 vessel with forty rows of oars He couldn't have reached the battle even if he had been commanding a quadragintireme. quadrimular adj 1664 -1664 lasting for four years The quadrimular interval between Olympiads is a long wait in terms of athletes' careers. quaeritate v 1657 -1657 to question; to inquire If I might quaeritate, why are we headed in the wrong direction on the trail? quercivorous adj 1858 -1858 feeding on oak trees The proliferation of quercivorous insects is a boon rather than a bane to the ecosystem. quibbleism n 1836 -1836 practice of quibbling His carping and quibbleism earned him much scorn, a fact of which he was oblivious. quotientive adj 1871 -1871 indicating how often She set up the schedule using a quotientive formula to ensure fairness. radicarian adj 1880 -1880 pertaining to the roots of words A radicarian knowledge of Latin is of central importance for English etymology. ramifactive adj 1766 -1766 developing into a branch; forming a branch Despite the infertility of the soil, the trees retained a limited ramifactive capacity. recineration n 1657 -1683 second reduction to ashes The recineration of his book manuscript in the second fire drove him over the edge. redamancy n 1656 -1656 act of loving in return

Despite his lack of redamancy, her passion for him was unabated for several years. rendling n 1784 -1784 curdling or setting of cheese Seeing the realization slowly dawn upon her was like witnessing the rendling of cheese. resarciate v 1656 -1657 to mend; to make amends She wanted to resarciate their friendship before it was damaged irreparably. rhedarious adj 1656 -1656 of or serving as a carriage or chariot His fancy for rhedarious transport was seen as old-fashioned by his friends. rhodologist n 1911 -1924 one who studies and classifies roses Any rhodologist knows that a rose by any other name does not smell as sweet. rimestock n 1662 -1834 old almanac with runic writings He bought the old rimestock at auction, but was unaware of its calendric function. riviation n 1676 -1676 fishing While anglers are the sort who enjoy quiet contemplation, I find riviation to be boring. roblet v 1674 -1755 to lead astray He roblets his intended victims in the old part of the city before mugging them. rogalian adj 1656 -1656 of or pertaining to a great fire The books' authors were rightly incensed at their works' rogalian fate under the censors. rogitate v 1656 -1658 to ask frequently "Are we there yet?", the kids rogitated, apparently unaware of their parents' frustration. roomthily adj 1674 -1674 spatially; with respect to space His bachelor apartment is roomthily challenged, to say nothing of the smell. rupography n 1838 -1838 art of taking impressions of coins or medals in sealing wax The police confiscated my rupography tools, thinking that I used them for forgery. ruricolous adj 1730 -1858 living in the country or in fields Though the city has its attractions, I much prefer the quiet ruricolous life.

Lost Words: S-Z

saburrate v 1623 -1658 to put sand or gravel in a ship as ballast Fortunately, the ship was thoroughly saburrated, or else it would surely have capsized. sacricolist n 1727 -1727 devout worshipper She was a skeptic, but became a sacricolist after her father's death. sagittiferous adj 1656 -1858 bearing arrows The general ordered that some of his foot-soldiers should thereafter be sagittiferous. sagittipotent adj 1656 -1656 having great ability in archery The sagittipotent hunter found himself unable to kill the beautiful white stag. sarcinarious adj 1656 -1656 serving to carry a burden or load His sarcinarious draught-horse could take no more, and collapsed on the desert sands. scaevity n 1623 -1658 unluckiness; left-handedness She attributed her failure to evil forces, but her family felt it was a matter of scaevity. scandiscope n 1825 -1825 machine for cleaning chimneys The scandiscope removed soot, but also what might have been reindeer droppings. scathefire n 1632 -1796 great destructive fire; conflagration Despite the scathefire that razed the town, its citizens were determined to rebuild. scelidate adj 1877 -1877 having legs; legged The legless dragon of Eastern myth contrasts with its scelidate Western counterpart. sceptriferous adj 1656 -1658 bearing a scepter The court's sceptriferous seneschal had a primarily symbolic function. schismarch n 1657 -1657 founder of a schism The schismarch of the People's Front of Judea was hated by his former allies. secability n 1842 -1842 capability of being cut The limited secability of Kevlar makes it an ideal material for modern

armour. sedecuple n 1690 -1690 quantity sixteen times another She enjoyed the Slinky, though her age was the sedecuple of her granddaughter's. sementine adj 1656 -1656 pertaining to sowing; of the time of seeding fields This year's drought means that our springtime sementine efforts were in vain. senticous adj 1657 -1657 prickly; thorny He pricked himself on a senticous bush as he searched about for his golf ball. seplasiary n 1650 -1658 seller or producer of perfumes and ointments She had an allergic reaction after the seplasiary sprayed her in the eyes. sermonolatry n 1859 -1859 excessive devotion to sermons We moved to a church across town because of our pastor's excessive sermonolatry. sevidical adj 1656 -1656 speaking cruel and harsh words; threatening I will not tolerate your sevidical tone and manner, you filthy peasant! sevous adj 1725 -1725 like tallow or suet The sevous mixture wouldn't harden, and so the whole batch of candles was ruined. siagonology n 1895 -1895 study of jaw-bones Reliance on siagonology alone led to the proliferation of the Piltdown Man hoax. sigilism n 1865 -1865 act of revealing the secrets of the confessional After learning of such atrocities, it is only natural that he would consider sigilism. sinapistic adj 1879 -1879 consisting of mustard The chef's sinapistic sauces delighted connoisseurs of French cuisine. sireniform adj 1849 -1852 having the lower legs abnormally joined into a single limb When they learned that their child had a sireniform deformity, they were devastated. slimikin adj 1745 -1745 small and slender She was a slimikin young woman who often flirted with the schoolboys at the academy. snobographer n 1848 -1966 one who describes or writes about snobs The editors scrapped the society page because it was full of

pretentious snobographers. sodalitious adj 1656 -1730 of or belonging to society or to fellowship Sodalitious camaraderie is the basis for gentlemanly life in this civilized era. soleated adj 1623 -1656 shod like a horse Because his steed was poorly soleated, he was unable to make good time on the trip. solennial adj 1623 -1656 occurring once a year; annual Welcome to our solennial celebration of the birth of our illustrious institution. soloecal adj 1716 -1716 provincially incorrect His soloecal Southern dialect cost him more than one job. somandric adj 1716 -1716 pertaining to the human body Today's athletes frequently exceed natural somandric limits with anabolic steroids. sophronize v 1827 -1827 to imbue with sound moral principles or self-control It is important that we sophronize children, not merely teach them facts. sospital adj 1656 -1658 keeping safe and healthy; preserving from danger The bodyguard's sospital functions were compromised by his love for his charge. sparsile adj 1891 -1891 of a star, not included in any constellation The prevalence of sparsile stars today reflects technical advances in telescopy. speustic adj 1656 -1658 made or baked in haste At the last minute, he thought to throw together a speustic pie for the gathering. spiscious adj 1655 -1655 of a thick consistency Her soups are both spiscious and delicious, though perhaps overladen with salt. sputcheon n 1842 -1878 metal lining of the mouth of a scabbard The blade rang against the sputcheon as he drew it, eliminating the element of surprise. squiriferous adj 1796 -1796 having the character or qualities of a squire The squiriferous youth squandered his inheritance with astonishing rapidity. stagma n 1681 -1820 any distilled liquor

I will touch neither wine nor stagma, though I do occasionally partake of ale. starrify v 1598 -1675 to decorate with stars; to make into a star She would often starrify her high school students' work, thereby infantilizing them. stibogram n 1891 -1898 graphic record of footprints The detective took stibograms from the scene, hoping they would lead to the culprit. stigmatypy n 1875 -1875 printing portraits using dots of different sizes The use of stigmatypy takes enormous effort, but provides little artistic benefit. stiricide n 1656 -1656 falling of icicles from a house The untended tenement was very dangerous in winter due to stiricide. sturionic adj 1852 -1852 of or pertaining to the sturgeon With its great sturionic strength, it leapt off the hook, never again to be seen. succisive adj 1619 -1656 of time, spare or in excess Because I worked so much harder than them, they envied my succisive rests. suffarcinate v 1656 -1656 to load up; to stuff His daughter suffarcinated the moving van with a hoard of old clothing, to his chagrin. summotion n 1653 -1653 removal The summotion of the unruly committee members was itself an unruly occasion. supellectile adj 1615 -1843 of the nature of furniture Our apartment is full of knick-knacks, but is lacking in supellectile necessities. surgation n 1688 -1688 erection of the penis His surgation caused him embarassment when he had to speak in front of the class. synallactic adj 1853 -1853 reconciliatory A synallactic dinner was a good idea, and helped them save their marriage. tabernarious adj 1656 -1656 belonging to shops or taverns Our tabernarious citizens have put before us their preposterous demands. tantuple adj 1656 -1656

multiplied by the same number; so many times a given quantity We expect a tantuple increase in this year's profits as well. tauroboly n 1700 -1891 slaughter of a bull or bulls; pagan bull sacrifice The cruelty of the matador led her to fight against tauroboly as an inhumane practice. tecnolatry n 1899 -1914 worship or idolization of children Despite her infertility, or perhaps because of it, she was known for her tecnolatry. teliferous adj 1656 -1658 bearing darts or missiles The teliferous battalion of soldiers advanced, knowing that they had the upper hand. telligraph n 1783 -1903 charter outlining boundaries of landholdings Fortunately, he still possessed the telligraph given to his greatgrandfather. temerate v 1635 -1654 to break a bond or promise; to profane She would not compromise, for doing so would force her to temerate her vows. tenellous adj 1651 -1651 somewhat tender Their tenellous relationship, which was never strong, came under great strain. tetanothrum n 1519 -1823 cosmetic for removing wrinkles The proliferation of tetanothrums reflects the concerns of aging baby boomers. teterrimous adj 1704 -1864 most foul The fiend's teterrimous visage alarmed the librarian, who quickly closed the dark tome. theomeny n 1623 -1656 the wrath of God I may suffer theomeny for my beliefs, but at least I will have been consistent. thural adj 1624 -1714 of or pertaining to incense The mysteries of the ancient order involved the burning of thural herbs. thysiastery n 1657 -1657 sacrificial altar They laid the babe upon the thysiastery with his mother's willing consent. tolfraedic adj 1703 -1905 of reckoning one hundred as 120; duodecimal Unfortunately, our measures still have a strong component of tolfraedic reckoning.

tollation n 1688 -1688 act of lifting The tollation of the child from the well required special equipment to be imported. tornatil adj 1661 -1661 made with a wheel; turned on a wheel The potter was a master of his tornatil work, but many of his pots broke during firing. tortiloquy n 1656 -1656 crooked speech I will not tolerate such tortiloquy in my court! trabeal adj 1862 -1866 like a beam; of the nature of a horizontal beam This trabeal support for the roof won't last more than a decade. traboccant adj 1651 -1654 superabundant; excessive Your traboccant generosity will no doubt be repaid twice over by the award recipients. tragematopolist n 1656 -1658 confectioner; seller of sweets No tragematopolist can match the appeal of a toy-store for young children. trajectitious adj 1656 -1855 characterized by oversea transport The trajectitious movement of sugar cane allowed the merchants to grow rich. tremefy v 1832 -1832 to cause to tremble His words tremefied the more gullible of onlookers, while others shook their heads. triclavianism n 1838 -1838 belief that only three nails were used at Christ's crucifixion My debate on triclavianism was ill-received by the priests, who felt it irrelevant. tristifical adj 1656 -1656 causing to be sad or mournful His tristifical wailing got the best of us, and we also were reduced to tears. tropaean adj 1686 -1686 blowing from sea to land The tropaean winds blew the raft ashore after long weeks at sea. trophaeal adj 1646 -1660 pertaining to or adorned with trophies Her trophaeal treasure trove was the only thing undamaged by the fire. tudiculate v 1623 -1658 to bruise or pound; to work as with a hammer He was brutally tudiculated by the bullies, so he started to work out. tussicate v 1598 -1890 to cough

He tussicated throughout the opera, annoying nearby audience members. uglyography n 1804 -1834 bad handwriting; poor spelling Your uglyography conceals the cogency and brilliance of your ideas. ulvose adj 1727 -1727 full of reeds or weeds The ulvose marsh was drained, damaging the habitat of several species of waterfowl. urette n 1840 -1840 dried animal urine absorbed into calcareous soil The only sign it had ever been a pasture were the patches of urette and dried dung. utible adj 1623 -1711 serviceable; useful While the new system is much more expensive, at least it is utible. utlegation n 1678 -1678 legal process by which someone is outlawed The gunslinger's utlegation was no impediment to his efforts to find work. uviferous adj 1656 -1656 bearing grapes or vines The uviferous hills of Champagne are still renowned for their quality produce. vacivity n 1656 -1721 emptiness The vacivity of her mind can hardly be a consequence of her blonde hair. vadiation n 1753 -1812 act of requiring a pledge The secret society insisted that he must attend the vadiation ceremony before entering. vadosity n 1658 -1658 fact of being fordable The limited vadosity of the river presented an enormous barrier to the pioneers. vampirarchy n 1823 -1823 set of rulers comparable to vampires Some believe that we are secretly ruled by the Illuminati or a similar vampirarchy. vanmost adv 1865 -1865 in the front; foremost The vanmost brigade is expected to take very high casualties, unfortunately. vappous adj 1673 -1673 flat; insipid This chili has a vappous and unpleasant taste, unlike the other offerings. vargeous adj 1779 -1779 resembling a rod; rod-like

He twirled his vargeous billy-club menacingly at the peaceful protesters. vectarious adj 1656 -1696 belonging to a wagon or carriage At the end of their vectarious voyage, he pulled out the engagement ring. vellicle n 1676 -1676 something that pinches or holds fast You need some sort of vellicle to keep the papers from falling all over the place. venalitious adj 1656 -1656 of the sale of humans as slaves Despite universal condemnation, venalitious practices abound in the Third World today. venialia n 1654 -1654 minor sins or offences Though he had done nothing heinous, all of his friends had been victims of his venialia. venundate v 1623 -1656 to buy and sell The farmer went to town once a month to venundate, but was otherwise solitary. venustation n 1656 -1658 act of causing to become beautiful or handsome The cream's manufacturer fraudulently promised venustation to those who used it. veprecose adj 1721 -1721 full of brambles When they moved onto the estate, the grounds were veprecose and untended. veteratorian adj 1656 -1656 crafty; subtle Your veteratorian villainy is no match for the might of my armies of men! vicambulate v 1873 -1873 to walk about in the streets Would you care to vicambulate with me on this fine evening, my dear? viduifical adj 1657 -1657 widow-making It is often said that golf is just as viduifical as war, and twice as pointless. viliorate v 1722 -1722 to make less good; to worsen The presence of gangs viliorates the quality of life for everyone in the neighbourhood. vinitorian adj 1656 -1656 of or pertaining to tending vines Though the orchard was more profitable, her vinitorian skills earned her respect. virtival n 1794 -1794

metal support for an axle Though he added virtivals to the cart, it fell to pieces at the first major jolt. visotactile adj 1652 -1652 involving both touch and vision The deaf man learned to make better use of visotactile input in his daily life. vocitate v 1653 -1653 to name or call I can understand giving a name to a dog, but who vocitates their houseplants? volgivagant adj 1656 -1656 pertaining to the common people; poor or base; inconstant Her political fortunes were tied to her ability to appeal to her volgivagant constituents. vultuous adj 1633 -1721 having a sad or solemn countenance The child's vultuous visage was the key to the team's successful con game. weequashing n 1888 -1902 spearing of fish or eels by torchlight from canoes The Scouts went out weequashing, but they forgot to obtain the proper permit. welmish adj 1688 -1688 of a pale or sickly colour Her welmish complexion was the first clue that she had become a fullblown addict. woundikins int 1836 -1836 diminutive form of "wounds"; mild oath He shouted, "Great woundikins!" upon striking his toe, much to their amusement. xenization n 1818 -1818 fact of travelling as a stranger This period of youthful xenization was the source of his later cultural tolerance. yelve n 1000 -1886 dung-fork; garden-fork; to use such a fork With her yelve and hoe never far from hand, she grew her crops the old-fashioned way. zygostatical adj 1623 -1656 pertaining to a market official in charge of weights His zygostatical training allowed him to cheat the scales undetected for decades.